A French child who developed severe complications after being infected by E. coli in 2011 has died.

Nolan Moittie was two years old when he was one of a number of people infected by an E. coli outbreak from frozen minced beef steaks of the Steaks Country brand bought at supermarket chain Lidl in May and June 2011.

After being infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157, he developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure associated with E. coli infection and was left paralyzed and mentally handicapped. French media reported he could not walk, talk or eat and lived in a wheelchair.

Florence Rault, the family’s lawyer, said the death was a total tragedy for the child and his family who had seen their lives devastated.

Around 15 people were part of the outbreak including 12 cases of HUS in children aged from seven months to 10 years old living in Nord-Pas-de Calais, Picardie, and Alsace.

Guy Lamorlette, former manager of SEB-Cerf based in Saint-Dizier, which was the company linked to the outbreak in 2011, was sentenced to at least two years in jail in 2017 and a €50,000 fine ($55,000).

An appeal was held earlier this year where Lamorlette blamed his former quality manager, Laurent Appéré, who died in 2017. After the jail term and fine was upheld, Lamorlette’s lawyer indicated that his client may file an appeal.

Symptoms of E. coli infection include abdominal cramps and diarrhea that can become bloody. Fever and vomiting may also occur. The incubation period can range from three to eight days and most patients recover within 10 days.

E. coli is transmitted to humans primarily through consumption of contaminated food, such as raw or undercooked ground meat, raw milk, and raw vegetables and sprouts.

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